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I am getting a tank from a friend of my dad. It's been in her garage for quite a while. What is the best way to get it ready for an oscar? Should I set it up and let it run for a while first? What would be the best way to clean it? What should I have in the way of plants and rocks etc.? Keep in mind this is my first time owning an oscar. Thanks.

the first thing you need to do is fill it up with water to make sure it doesn't leak. this should be done outside so if you don't spill water all over your house in case it does leak. if it leaks, you can get aquarium silicone sealant from wal-mart or most local fish stores to reseal any areas that may leak.
to clean the tank, you should make a dilute solution of bleach and water (about 4 parts water to 1 part bleach) and just give the tank a good scrub down. when you are done, rinse the tank out well.
as to rocks and decorations, a typical guideline for gravel is about 1 lb. to 1 gal. of water, although i use a little more than that. to save money on gravel, you can go to a home depot or other hardware stores and get bulk gravel there. if you do this, just make sure you rinse the gravel well and i would boil it if i was doing it, to kill any parasites. decorations, whatever you think makes your tank look nice. some fish like to have a hiding place to retreat to when they feel like it, so you may want to make some form of caves out of rocks, or just buy a large plastic plant or whatever you want.
next you need to cycle the tank, and while it can be done with oscars, it will stress them out. i would recommend doing it with a bunch of disposable fish, such as goldfish. just go buy a dozen or two dozen and throw them in the tank. it can take anywhere from a month to two months to cycle a tank. cycling is the process of growing the required bacteria to convert toxic ammonia and nitrites from the fish's waste into less harmful nitrates, which are removed by weekly water changes. to research more about the nitrogen cycle, go to http://faq.thekrib.com/
good luck, and if you have any more questions, post away

One more thing, the tank i am getting is octagonal in shape, and I am totally clueless as to how many gallons it is. It's about 18-24 in diameter and about 24-30 in tall if that helps. The lady at the pet store told me they tended to be more of a solitary fish so I was only planning on having one in that tank, any opinions?

thanks
adam

i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that is not a good tank for an oscar. it will be approximately a 50 or 60 gallon tank, this is just a rough approximation, based on the dimensions of my 65 gallon hexagon tank which is 30 inches tall and 24 in diameter.

the amount of water is acceptable for an oscar, but the dimensions aren't. oscars need side to side space for territory, while your tank is spacious bottom to top. a full grown oscar is 12-14 inches, so your tank gives it much less than a foot of swimming space.

maybe you should consider putting something else in the tank. if you would like to keep an oscar, you will need to get a regular rectangular shaped tank of about 55 gallons for one oscar. search the classified ads in your area, you should be able to pick one up inexpensively.

thanks for the tip, I'll look for another tank.

ok, here we go I found a 30 gallon rectangular tank in my sideyard that I used at one time for an iguana. It measures 12W X 30L X 18H. Is this big enougn for a plecost, and 1 oscar, or will i eventually have to up the tank? as you can see I am really trying to avoid having to shell out a couple hundred bucks for a new tank if I can. thanks for all the help.

the 30 gal. will be good for a while, but u will have to upgrade into a bigger tank. maybe about 55 or something for one, and a pleco gets about 18" in aquariums. u prolly wont have to upgrade until the oscar outgrows it. the bigger the tank, the better your O.

and trust me..if u like ur O, ur gonna be buying him so much stuff, the visa will be melting . And before u kno it...repo men are taking the one-piece-eyeglass (those rich people wear) off your fish


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[This message has been edited by dethmunkee (edited 01-26-2001).]